Desperate for help with my dog!

[Bikerchickone]

Zac's the cutest looking dog you could ever hope to meet, we got him at 10 weeks old from the breeder where he lived in kennels. We went through toilet training as we did with our older springer and it seemed to work fine, for about 6 months. Now he wees everywhere, inside the house, up the doors, washing machine, outer walls of the house, the back door and step, his bed, springer's bed, doesn't matter. The back door can be wide open and he'll come in, sniff around a bit and then pee up the door! He's now a 6 year old whole dog (I wanted him castrated but hubby insisted not as he's 'well bred') but the situation is just getting worse all the time. He's taken out regularly (walked 3x a day inc a run on the beach) fed properly and I just don't know what to do to stop this now.

We're trying to sell our house having spent 5 years doing it up and so recently we put all new carpets in throughout. He came straight in and pee'd on it! So now I've had to resort to making both dogs live in the garage (It's carpeted, heated and part of the house so not a terrible hardship) and to limit the damage we're now crating him overnight (max 5 hours) and when we're out without the dogs, again no more than 5 hours. I absolutely hate this situation, I love my dogs and want them in the house but they howl when seperated and I can't have £5k worth of carpets ruined whilst the house is on the market.

What can I do? I disagree totally with rubbing their noses in it, and don't like corporal punishment, so I've tried ignoring the bad pees and praising the ones done in the garden, I've tried watching him closely and moving him outside the second he cocks his leg, I've tried angry voice when he does it, nothing seems to matter. Take my eyes off him for a second and he pees on something. I'm at my wits end. Hubby has agreed I can have him castrated finally but I think it's probably too late now. I've contacted two dog trainers and one told me to give him to a gun club so he'd be living in kennels and the other suggested a remote control citrus spraying collar so I could watch him and spray his nose whenever he does it in the house. I haven't been able to find one of these and I'm not sure it's something I want to do to him anyway, but I'm really desperate now.

Other than his 'problem' he's a wonderful little dog and I love him dearly. Please can anyone help?

 

[Spudlet]

First of all, nuts off. However at his age this is not a cure-all as the behaviour is entrenched.

Secondly, are you using a specialist cleaning product for his indoor indiscretions? Some cleaners actually smell wee-like to a dog, and they won't necessarily get rid of the pee smell either for him, so he'll want to return to the same places to mark again and again.

I advise getting a qualified behaviourist in to advise you, tbh. The issue with a spray collar is that if he's a nervous type (or if your timing is off) you could just make him nervous and that might make him pee even more!

 

[CAYLA]

Give him away or squirt him with a collar sorry I just thought trainers telling you that is weird

I would castrate no 2 ways about that, it will take a good few months for the castration it's self to kick in one the hormones depleat and things settle down, in the mean time I would carry on with the crate, always crate when you are not there, (even if this means popping in the bath or going to the toilet (never leave him alone) and limit his access to one room until you have this under control) so that all options to pee are taken away, when you see him cock his leg or even raise it, vocal command to let him know you are aware anf there is a vocal reprimand "ah ah"/"no" whatever the chosen word and pick him up and put him outside immediately.
Also invest in a "pee post", I will add a link at the end.
When he uses the post praise him (at the end of the motion) don't disturb him mid way through and eventually put a command in.
It does sound like a scent marking more than a (house training issues) but as suggested clean thoroughly and stop access to any area he does not need to be in until you get this under control.
PEE POST
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Simple-So...pplies_Dogs&hash=item5d31ffabdc#ht_2201wt_856

 

[Booboos]

As above and when he is out of the crate and in the house pop a lead on him and attach the lead around your waist (as long as he's not likely to pull you over) so that you can 100% keep an eye on him. It's not easy to do, had to do it with Betty for a few weeks, but it does work because it stops the constant peeing.

 

[KatandBasher]

First off, how much water is he drinking? It seems strange that he's got a constant supply of pee on tap. My two boys are entire and when they go for a walk only the first so many leg cocks produce pee before they empty their bladders and only secrete scent from then on which you can't see but you can certainly smell.
I agree about crating him while you have to leave him unattended. While you are with him you must keep a close eye on him. Dogs give off clear signals that they're going to toilet such as sniffing around. As soon as you see these signals you must take him outside. If you're not quick enough and he cocks his leg you've had it. You mustn't tell him off if you catch him peeing as this could teach him that toileting is a bad thing and make him try to hold it in and not go at all which isn't good for him. The worst thing you could do is tell him off after the deed is done as he will have forgotten about it within about 30 seconds and won't have any clue as to why you're telling him off and he could even associate the telling off with whatever it was he was doing at the time. Rubbing a dogs nose in its mess is cruel and does nothing more than humiliate it and teach it nothing other than you're not a nice person to be around.

 

[Bikerchickone]

Thanks everyone, lots of good advice. We're definitely taking the nuts off now, going to show hubby this thread lol!

We have a pee post and it seems to be the only spot in the garden where he won't go! So much so that I thought about putting it in the house

He doesn't drink loads that I've noticed, the two dogs between them empty their normal metal water bowl probably twice in the day and again overnight. He has a tiny little bowl hooked inside his crate for when he's left. Both dogs always drink a fair bit when I change the water so I guess they like it fresh lol! it's definitely scenting I'm sure because it's never huge amounts of wee. He seems to go out to do the big puddles, which I'm thankful for. It's almost as though he doesn't associate the scenting with his toilet training at all, never get no 2s in the house or crate either.

I'm going to ask around for a behaviour specialist and see what I can do. I desperately want to have them back in the house but the way things are at the moment hubby is going to make me rehome both dogs which will break my heart.

Thanks very much for the advice and if anyone knows any behaviour experts in Surrey/Sussex/Hampshire borders please let me know. Thank you.

 

[Bikerchickone]

Katandbasher, I would never rub his nose in it, think this is barbaric and does nothing. Admittedly I have been guilty of telling him a stern "No" when he does it indoors but I have been careful to praise him for doing it outdoors too. Going to have to try again once the bits are gone.